The present invention relates to a scanning probe microscope probe and manufacturing method therefor, a scanning probe microscope and using method therefor, a needle-like body and manufacturing method therefor, an electronic device and manufacturing method therefor, a charge density wave quantum phase microscope, and a charge density wave quantum interferometer. The present invention is suitably usable for production of a novel device from a charge density wave nano-structure, determination of a biomolecular structure, surface inspection of various substances including superconducting ones, and a semiconductor device, etc.
It is only in three states, namely, in superconductivity, charge density wave (CDW) or quantum Hall liquid, that conduction electrons in an electric conductor such as a metal can be macroscopically quantum-coherent with each other. No exaggeration, the conduction electrons can be macroscopically quantum-coherent with each other only in two of the three states, namely, in the states of superconductivity and charge density wave (CDW), unless handled from outside. More specifically, since a CDW body shows a phase transition at room temperature, a device and measuring device, utilizing the CDW macroscopic quantum phase, are practically higher in potential than the semiconductor technology and have been attracting more and more attention. Recently, under such circumstances CDW three-terminal electric field/current driving device, femtosecond-speed memory device, etc. have been worked out and proved each as a new quantum functional device having a new effect (as in Appl. Phys. Lett. 80, 871 (2002), for example).
It is considered that for production of a device from a CDW nano-structure, a tool for evaluation of the device is indispensable. However, as far as the Inventors of the present invention know, any such effective tools have not yet been proposed exactly.
The scanning probe microscope (SPM) is an important tool for the nano-science and nano-technology, and is widely applied to surface inspection of various substances, development of materials and devices, etc.
On the other hand, recently, there have been studied the nano-scale nonuniform superconducting state (phenomenon of self-organization) taking place in the high-temperature superconductor and heavy electron system. It is already known that in a copper oxide high-temperature superconductor La2-xBaxCuO4 having x in the vicinity of ⅛, the spin/charge stripe order is stabilized at a low temperature and the system becomes insulative with the result the superconductivity will be inhibited (as in J. M. Tranquada et al., Nature Vol. 357 (1995) 561, for example). Also, it is known that when a small pressure is applied to the system, the spin/charge stripe order is inhibited, while the superconductivity is recovered (as in N. Yamada and M. Ido. Physica C Vol. 203 (1992) 240 and M. Ido et al., J. Low Temp. Phys. Vol. 105 (1996) 311, for example).
However, the conventional scanning probe microscope could not be any effective tool for studying the nano-scale nonuniform superconducting state. Therefore, there has been demanded a new tool, but any such effective tool has not yet been proposed.